Pages

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Travelogue: Signs of Spring from South to North

Lilies blooming in our Florida yard mid-April 2015

Hello and welcome to the J.Q. Rose blog. Yes, we are back home in beautiful Michigan. The countryside is just waking up to spring. We arrived to sunny skies and warm temperatures (about 70 degrees F/21 C). Of course we won't mention the rain, cool temps, and snowflurries forecast for mid-week. We are delighted with this rare treat.

The Snowbirds-Author J.Q. Rose and hubby, Gardener Ted

We had an uneventful 1300 mile trip from Florida to the North country. And that's the way we like it!

Our route home from Florida to MichiganFind lots of maps at mapofusa.net

We left lush, green Florida landscapes and colorful flowers and the beaches teeming with sun-loving visitors. We knew we'd pass through spring in its various stages as we drove north. Take a peek at the signs of spring we spotted on our journey home.

Please remember these photos were shot "on the way" north. Yes, through the windshield of our 70 mph speeding pick-up truck. You may have to squint to focus in on some of them!

We had to say good-bye to our Florida neighbors and their beautiful geraniums.

Nickajack Lake picnic area near Jasper, Tennessee. The park has a lovely campground.Can you imagine how busy this place must be in the summer?

I bet there are a LOT of fish in this lake.

On this trip we discovered the annual National Cornbread Festivalwhichis held in South Pittsburgh, TN, just a few miles from Nickajack Lake.The Lodge Cast Iron factory is located in this small town. This company is world-renowned for their quality cast iron cookware.Hey, if you have no plans this weekend, April 25-26, you can attend the cornbread festival!!

You can see we are in leafless country, but with buds showing on the trees and green grass growing.

Yes, we endured traffic congestion in some of the cities we passed through.

And lots of construction!! The orange barrels kind of ruined the scenic areas!

Redbud trees, a sure sign of spring in Tennessee.

This flowering tree graced out motel room in Indiana. Gorgeous yellow forsythia were also blooming.

The farmers are getting ready to plant, definite signs of spring in Indiana.

At last, we are near home. All the fruit orchards are nothing but branches and trunks. No signs of life.

Notice the sparse green grass and no leaves on the trees. But spring will come.

The promise of spring is alive and well in our yard. The hyacinths are growing and the tulips are budding.

Daffodils are a welcoming sight. They just make my heart happy with their bright yellow blossoms. Pure spring joy.# # # #

So how far are you into spring? Flowers, leaves or no leaves, or are you in the part of the world just entering fall? What IS your favorite season of the year?

Be sure to fill in the "Follow by E-mail" box so you won't miss a blog post on the J.Q. Rose blog. Thank you!

Hi Helena, Daffodils just make my heart skip a bit when I spot them first thing in the spring. Such a sign of hope for better weather and a promise of a fun summer ahead. Glad you are experiencing spring there too!

Hey Nosey, each home has its pros and cons, but by moving back and forth, we eliminate the big cons..weather. Had enough snow, so we head for the sun in FL. Had enough heat, so we head for the cooler climate in the spring. Our double wide in FL has a lot less maintenance, yard work, and housekeeping! But our kids and grandkids are up north and we love being near them. Gardener Ted loves gardening in our northern home with his huge garden. I can't pick a favorite.

Quick Tips on Vegetable Gardening

Followers

A to Z Writing Challenge

I joined in the fun. Writing a blog every day for 26 days in April using the letter of the alphabet as a prompt.

BWL Publishing

Talented authors and great reads

Writing, Publishing, Marketing, and Reading

Writing, publishing, marketing and reading are my favorite topics for the Focused on Story blog. My first e-book was released in 2011. You can imagine how many things have changed in the world of writing and reading since then. Stay up with the latest changes and new programs and technology to use in your writing projects right here. Let's try and keep up with this amazing industry and all the good books available by sharing news with each other.

Deadly Undertaking, Dangerous Sanctuary and Terror on Sunshine Boulevard, all released from BWL Publishing, are now available in all eBook formats and in Paperback.

Check out my Amazon Author Page and the tab above entitled My Books to discover more eBooks by J.Q. Rose. You may be surprised at the topics!